I reluctantly, carried a complaint letter to the academic director. I was stopped in my tracks by an employee who was in the hallway just ripping the Human Resources Department. I soon realize that we had a lot in common with the problems here at Scamscope. This is a business with an agenda to make money in anyway form or fashion. During my time there, I have met some really nice expats. They never turned a deaf ear even when I complained and asked basic questions. Those four people helped me keep my head afloat. Unfortunately, it was not enough and I just could not take the oppressive methods that were brutally enforced by the principal and especially by the owner. The following is only 50% of the reasons that many of us do not recommend this school.
a. No one will pick you up from the Airport and no one will assist with your housing (funded by you of course). Human Resources Department is quite bad, 1 year employment visa is not guaranteed because you may get a 8 month kitas. If you plan a trip outside the country be sure to keep track with your visa status..HRD will not inform you of anything until the night before.
b. Your travel allowance is 23 usd a day, but you if arrive 1 minute late or leave 1 minute early, you will not get that 23 usd for that day. Please take note the travel allowance is every 10th day of the month, so you will never get that full 500 usd monthly. You will get between 350-450 net max if you look at the working day calendar dictated by Highscope. Please take note that the main school is located on a one way bottle neck. So traffic jams are commons coming 2 and leaving the building.
c. Working hours are 7-4:15, if the management does not make a mandatory staff meeting at 4 p.m. The management will text you late at night (9:30 pm) about something minor like: “You forgot one period at the end of the 2nd sentence on page 3 of the report.”
d. Working conditions- The desktops are outdated and the internet is very bad. You are required to communicate via email. You will not be given consideration if you do not know the latest message sent via email. Classrooms are large, but you are forced to decorate that room, according to their whims and desires. Your room will be used for other subjects and you are still responsible for everything in that room. Desk arrangements, rubbish, broken cabinets, desktops, etc…everything. If you do not..subtract money from your possible bonus at the end. The management will treat and talk to you like a child. If you go to the restroom, the vice principal will ask you why did it take so long…They are always watching you…If you chat during free time, laugh and joke…the management will ask that person to reveal details about the conversation. Do not think about talking slang because the principal will verbally correct you in front of everyone. You cannot say hello. You are force to say Hello, Ms trophy Principal, how are you doing today? (smile) . To counter this, we scatter like roaches if the management is visible from a distance. You will even get a phone call if you are visible in the parking looking during lunch time. A multi-cultural environment does not exist at this school. It is just an oppressive environment. We just had an expat quit a few days ago; I guess all that time he prayed in that little room did some good.
e. Bonus: forget about it…the system is set up so you cannot make the max bonus offered...forget to wear a tie...subtract money... forget to submit this form...subtract money… you blink twice …subtract money..(I am not making this up, this is the current state of Middle school) enuff said
f. You will be required to advise maybe 7-8 students every day. You are forced to solve personal problems, assist with their work and even have ties with their parents outside the classroom. The catch is that you will or will not be blamed if a student has bad conduct, skip school, or gender relations etc. So basically, you will be another parent
g. Students are very nice, but the Highscope system does not prepare them for College. They have all these field trips and events that subtract from classroom time. Highscope has a training building with locals that only purpose is to promote and implement new classroom techniques. This sounds very good on paper, but at ground level it has many flaws. Cut and copy from websites does not quality anyone to experts in any field. For example: No one there has a PhD in Physics, so how come they try to correct that teacher about his classroom instruction, labs etc.? Not one of them have ever taught High School, yet they observe and make tons of mistakes in subject content. Yet you have to sit there and listen and change according to their internet research and personal thoughts. It is like they are looking for ways to justify their existence.
h. Expats are alienated, forced to dwell with each other or lock themselves up in their rooms. Some of the local teachers dislike expats because of salary differences or some kind of extreme nationalism. This is a very rare thing in Indonesia. So I have underlined that point so please be careful. Some not all of the locals will tattle tale and test your patience. If you stand up for yourself or even professional defend yourself via compliant form etc... It doesn’t matter. The expats are always wrong and you will be required to write a formal apology.
i. The pay is less than other schools in the area. High scope is barely a national plus school and that means you should not have an expat principal. High scope has a Canadian principal and she runs quite fast every time immigration visits the school. Please refer to the previous statements about the methods of the management

j. Contract- 8-2 of the contract states that if an employee resigns while he/she is still bound by the contract time the company is not obligated to compensate the based on “Undang-undang ketenagakerjaan #13 tahun 2003 article 62…Now what does that mean in normal language? It mean if you resign for any reason you will be forced to pay salary times months worked… so for example if your salary is 1000 usd and you worked 6 months..that means you would have to pay 6000 usd and 2.500 usd penalty. So please be aware of this portion of the contract.

I only posted 50% of the reasons that no one should work at Highscope, I will wait until someone tries to discredit this post before dropping other problems with complete names and phone numbers. Be safe all

Last edited by Demigod on Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:04 am; edited 1 time in total

j. Contract- 8-2 of the contract states that if an employee resigns while he/she is still bound by the contract time the company is not obligated to compensate the based on “Undang-undang ketenagakerjaan #13 tahun 2003 article 62…Now what does that mean in normal language? It mean if you resign for any reason you will be forced to pay salary times months worked… so for example if your salary is 1000 usd and you worked 6 months..that means you would have to pay 6000 usd and 2.500 usd penalty. So please do accept this portion of the contract.

I spent a couple of years working there-and enjoyed the experience-but that what some time [5 years +] ago. I'm curious to know what they are paying expats as a total package per month now. 'We' the bules were making around 20-22 mil back then. I'm curious cos of the incredible inflation that has hit Indonesia lately...come back for a visit after 2 years and found prices gone up 25-30 %! My major issue was accommodation-the fact that they built it into the monthly salary and refused to give an 'up front' allowance, making it difficult to rent anything other than, say, a kost.

i think a lot of these things are pretty common across the country's nat+ schools, though maybe not so many of them all in the one place. i've found it pretty difficult to deal with management in local schools, especially with the letting you know class is cancelled or there's something VERY IMPORTANT happening within a few hours notice.

i've also experienced shocking HR too. Just completely clueless about how to deal with foreigners and visas, but they still made sure i got picked up from the airport. That's a pretty harsh thing to deal with, especially if you're new (and in Jakarta, of all places).

Is it the Canadian principal is the one who corrects you for using slang in front of everyone? Or the vice principal?

i'm pretty ready to defend a certain Canadian principal of high scope because i know what that school and its students mean to her and how much work she puts into it all, but maybe we're getting our Canadians mixed up. If she is correcting people for using slang, i don't imagine it isn't without reason - perhaps she's under the thumb of her superiors just as much as you are.

Reluctantly, I set flight leaving my home in pursuit of a better life. My child looked on with encouraging eyes. My wife touches my chest easing my uncertainty. The turbulence turns my stomach. The clouds turn grayish as monkey faces fade in and out along the sunset. Its bony fingers started pressing and tapping the wing definitely a sign. I remember the first time the dead monkey released its wraith. I ran east...then travelled south, but to no avail. The dead monkey engulfs all, as I foolishly fought unsuccessfully. Year later, I finished preparing and trained for another year teaching overseas. Unfortunately, this story unfolds like all previous attempts. Welcome to another chapter of the Dead Monkey.
No one greeted me at the airport, no one even called to see if I had arrived. I gave my family a smile that aimed to assured them that I am still confident of this drastic move across the Pacific Ocean. My new place of employment was laced in blue, red, and yellow. Perhaps this would serve as a shield, perhaps this would be the school I would find a peaceful existence. I was wrong… dead wrong,… dead Monkey.
I entered the hideout called High scope with books in hand. I foolishly ignored the frowns, growls and senseless drool. The principal greeted me halfhearted. Her face smiled, but her bony hand soon turned grayish with rotten yellow nails. She was clearly infected by the Dead Monkey gene. I was hired to replace a cute woman from the Canada. Her brown hair neatly situated, her nails shined and flicked from the glare. She smiled during my observations and professionally warned me of the obstacles of High School. She finished up handed the mantle and left for better opportunities. I had my social limitations. I still enjoyed my time with the other western teachers. They tried to make it bearable, but the sheer unprofessionalism called N_rida aka the Vice President was just too much. You better hurry up and take a leak or she may come watch you, so she can write down proof you were not in class during your lunch time. The training was two months and I looked forward to it. Unfortunately it was lack luster and they had little experience with High School. "You will learn that later" was a common excuse. This time in limbo felt strange and got even worse because the TQD supervisor started crying during the last day. I had mixed feeling about watching a grown man cry. The westerners were more or less ignored. We were also bored to death. The Dead Monkey dangled a carrot and I was its prize catch. Welcome to Highscope..Welcome to my hell.
I was truly trapped, but vowed to find a way out of its hideout. The Dead Monkeys called Principal and VP poked and examined for the smallest flaw. So many wolf tickets and irrelevant staff meeting only served to delay your death sentence. You are forced to be advisors to students. Be careful and not report anything or risk being accused indirectly of cohesion. The Dead Monkey will punish you and try to persuade other prisoners (teachers) to turn against you. The reputation of the Hideout (Highscope) is more important than anything else. The dead monkey re supplies its troops called human resources even disrespects you and your family in person and over the phone." I hate Indonesians who marry Bule" Oh no! They forgot that westerners can speak Bahasa also. It doesn't matter it’s the Dead Monkeys lair, so you are forced to write an apology letter for confronting that individual. You try to calm down and join the local Muslims in prayer, but the dead monkey lingers outside the door. She ask you “We don’t wear religious costumes at Highscope” So I guess an untucked collar shirt is a costume. The academic director wasn’t much help. She smiled and welcomed me in her office. She told me to relax and remember “You are a black man and I know how America is” Why you don’t you go back and try to talk with the principal again. The principal was in her human form and her smile was quite nice. Unfortunately, religious explanations were forgotten because she called you an intimidating black man. It is racism, excuses for their ignorance, or something else? The Dead Monkey steps up its time table and flanks your next move. You briefly retreat and prepare for one last effort to escape its putrid lair. You make one last dash down the hallway. You dodge obstacles, twist around corridors and even avoid the deprived trophy wives in the café. You enter a dark hallway as your confront the Dead Monkey Queen. You become slightly confused because she claims to be a successful owner and Muslim, who like yourself performed Hajj. This is confusing because she doesn't wear a hijab, she doesn’t greet other Muslims properly and she frowns walking arrogantly with a western dress... She even made it known that she disliked paying workers for religious holidays. I shake it off because I have met fake Muslim before, who only use the label for business purposes only. I politely ask her (owner) for a moment.. she only frowned and told me to make an appointment.., but ma'am I'm leaving today..make an appointment. As she stuffed her mouth with a piece of cake.. I could see her yellow and black teeth. No compulsion in Islam, so the battle was avoided. Her paper thin guard from human resources stared quietly. The Dead Monkey Queen (owner) slithered back and forth and escaped. Its fur was black and grey mangled with old age. Make an appointment the Siren screeched. I pressed on as her guard helped her slither back into her hole (office) After a screaming debate, I paid a portion of the broken contract fee as I made my exit out the vile lair called Highscope..This may be seen as a stalemate, but in my mind I know it was not a win win situation and the war had just begun

. The Dead Monkey Queen (owner) slithered back and forth and escaped. Its fur was black and grey mangled with old age. Make an appointment the Siren screeched. I pressed on as her guard helped her slither back into her hole (office) After a screaming debate, I paid a portion of the broken contract fee as I made my exit out the vile lair called Highscope..This may be seen as a stalemate, but in my mind I know it was not a win win situation and the war had just begun.

Uhuh. Well, I take it that overall you didn't like the school very much? By the way, what's up with monkeys slithering? Did you perhaps mix your metaphors once or twice?

Thanks anyway for the most surreal post ever on the Indonesia forum on Dave's, which is no mean feat.

I knew a Chinese-Indonesian man, well educated, experience but with two children and in need of a steady income. Even he just walked out of High slash Scope one day after just a few weeks of working there. I mean just one mid-morning he felt that enough was enough and walked out the door between classes never to return.

Nice read that-for anyone who knows the place and people being described! For anyone else it will be meaningless I think. N_rida has made it to Vice president position eh? God help the staff......I recall her as the homeroom teacher who had a gestapo-like ferocity in her approach to reporting, recording, and snitching on staff members at any given opportunity as a means of self promotion. Sorry to hear the OP had such a bad time there-sounds like the place has gone seriously downhill in last few years-teachers 'forced' to spend their lunchtimes in the classroom?

High/Scope's educational philosophy is derived from a Chicago based concept aimed at disadvantaged kids-one of it's tenets is close observation of and involvement with the kids in a school environment....quite ironic that it appears to be the victim of an opportunistic parent jumping on the 'abuse' bandwagon.....and again the victim talks of 'secret doors' and 'hidden chambers'-but then High/Scope does have it's 'black box theatre' on the top floor where unimaginable crimes might have taken place......

High/Scope's educational philosophy is derived from a Chicago based concept aimed at disadvantaged kids-one of it's tenets is close observation of and involvement with the kids in a school environment....quite ironic that it appears to be the victim of an opportunistic parent jumping on the 'abuse' bandwagon.....and again the victim talks of 'secret doors' and 'hidden chambers'-but then High/Scope does have it's 'black box theatre' on the top floor where unimaginable crimes might have taken place......

Just out of interest ... Did you work at the branch in Cilandak? What is the 'Black Box' Theatre?